Jan 30 (Un)trusted media

There was a 13 percentage point rise in trust in traditional media in the UK last year, with over 6o% of people saying they trust these sources. However, the use of Russian bots, fake news and manipulative algorithms has driven down trust in newer forms of media – over half worry about being exposed to fake news on social media, according to the latest Edelman Trust Barometer.

One-third of citizens say they are accessing news media less than we were, with one in five actively avoiding it. “When we asked why people were turning off from news consumption we were told it’s too depressing, one-sided, biased, or controlled by hidden agendas,” says Ed Williams, CEO of Edelman UK.

Trust in business in general is higher than trust in government or the media, though that’s not saying too much – half the population thinks business doesn’t pay its fair share of tax, and that top execs are overpaid, while 40% say corruption is commonly accepted, which is the same proportion that thinks the average worker is taken advantage of.